The Keystone State is known for its ghostly tales, and it’s not surprising that many of them originate from the haunted cemeteries in Pennsylvania. The most haunted just might be Gettysburg National Cemetery, where more than 3,500 Union soldiers have been laid to rest. Whether you believe in the paranormal, are a history buff, or just want to visit one of Pennsylvania’s most beautiful cemeteries, a visit to Gettysburg National Cemetery belongs on your bucket list.

Part of Gettysburg National Military Park - the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War - Gettysburg National Cemetery is known for its rich history and as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Pennsylvania.
Gettysburg National Military Park/Facebook
The National Cemetery is also the final resting place of soldiers of other wars, including the Vietnam War.
A visit is a solemn experience, after all, the cemetery and the battlefield saw the deaths of more than 10,000 Union and Confederate Soldiers, during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863.
National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
An additional 30,000 soldiers were injured during the battle while 10,000 went missing or were captured by the other side. This photo shows some soldiers in 1910 in Gettysburg.
The death toll was so high that the battlefield became a burial ground.
Trip Advisor/Alabama Traveler
Soldiers were buried in shallow graves; citizens did their best to keep track of the fallen by writing their names in pencil on wooden boards above the makeshift resting places.
However, the names on the boards eventually faded due to the weather in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Kevin P/TripAdvisor
Local residents raised the idea of a cemetery for the Union soldiers, which led to the creation of Gettysburg National Cemetery.

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The Dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania took place on Nov. 19, 1863, and brought a magnificent procession of U.S. troops and civilians for this important occasion.
Isaac G. Tyson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
During the cemetery's dedication, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.
David Bachrach, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Lincoln is slightly left of center facing the camera, just behind the group of people, without his famous hat.
Today, visitors to the Gettysburg National Cemetery can explore the cemetery and the battlefield, both of which are said to be teeming with the paranormal.
Kim H/TripAdvisor
Visitors tell of seeing orbs by the headstones in this reportedly haunted cemetery.
Some have also said they hear explosions, cannons, and gunfire in the distance, and don't be surprised if a camera stops working, another common occurrence on these hallowed grounds.
DrChipB/TripAdvisor
Other folks even claim to have seen soldiers marching in the distance as the sun goes down in this haunted cemetery, and have sworn they could smell smoke from gunfire.
Toni R/TripAdvisor
What spirits await us on our journey to this solemn, sacred space?

We think this is possibly one of the most haunted cemeteries in Pennsylvania. Have you been to Gettysburg National Cemetery? Did you experience any paranormal occurances? Let us know in the comments below! For more information, visit the Gettysburg National Cemetery web page.

While you’re in town, you might want to visit the oldest restaurant in Gettysburg. And keep the paranormal activity going with a stay at the Gettysburg Hotel.

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More to Explore

Haunted Places In Pennsylvania

Carolyn Harmon | September 08, 2023

What are some of the most haunted places in Pennsylvania?

This road trip will take you to the scariest places in Pennsylvania. Here are a few spots along the way.

  •  King George Inn II Bristol (102 Radcliffe St., Bristol, PA): Founded in 1681, the walls of this classic place have seen the faces of many important people, including Presidents George Washington and  James Madison. It has earned the badge of being “America’s oldest continuously operating inn." Today, guests report sightings of ghosts, such as the mysterious dapper man dressed in a top hat and tails who walks through. Other reports include seeing paintings falling off of the walls and doors of empty rooms opening and closing.
  • Hill View Manor (2801 Hill View Manor Drive, New Castle, PA): This place is so famously haunted, that paranormal investigations, tours, and special ghostly events are booked regularly. It is the location of a former nursing home/poor farm that was built in 1926. This spooky, massive manor spreads over 80,000 square feet, where a hundred bodies are said to be buried on the site. Mary Virginia is the most famous ghost who had a love for dolls, and folks have reported seeing her spirit roaming around.
  • Van Sant Covered Bridge (Covered Bridge Road, Solebury Township, PA): A couple of tales surround this historic structure, also known as Crybaby Bridge. One story tells of two vicious murders when a man killed a woman and her infant on the bridge, after which he was hanged from the rafters of the bridge. Another tale claims the woman murdered her baby. The result over the years has been sightings of an apparition hanging by a noose from the covered bridge and a woman looking for her baby, whose cries are frequently heard.

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Gettysburg National Cemetery, National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA